Neptune, the outermost planet in our solar system, has only been visited by one spacecraft, the Voyager 2 probe, over 40 years ago. Despite interest from planetary scientists, the planet’s extreme distance makes an orbiter or lander mission virtually impossible with current technology. However, a radical new idea proposes using the thin atmosphere of Neptune’s […]
astrophysics
Taming Gravity is all about the possibility through science and technology to harness gravity. If we accomplish this we will then have the means to travel to the stars.
Of course, to do this will involve knowledge of astrophysics.
So, here at Taming Gravity we include inspiring news and breakthroughs happening in the field of astrophysics.
James Webb Space Telescope spots jet stream on Jupiter stronger than a Category 5 hurricane
Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a high-speed jet stream over Jupiter’s equator, previously unseen. This jet stream, which is over 3,000 miles wide and travels at about 320 mph, was spotted above the main cloud decks of Jupiter. The discovery was a surprise to the researchers and highlights that there is […]
Snake-like magnetic fields on the sun bring scientists closer to solving a major solar mystery
Solar scientists may be closer to understanding why the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, is significantly hotter than its inner layers. An international team of researchers, using the world’s most powerful solar telescope, the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawai’i, has observed the sun’s magnetic field in exceptional detail. They discovered complex, […]
A star is born! How cosmic winds are a key step in stellar formation
Astronomers have discovered a previously unknown process in star formation which could prevent infant stars from destroying themselves. This process involves “cosmic winds” that circulate around gas and dust clouds, which eventually collapse to form stars. These winds help to slow the spin of the forming stars. This discovery was made by scientists from the […]
Nearby asteroid may contain elements ‘beyond the periodic table’, new study suggests
A number of asteroids in our solar system are so dense that no known element on Earth can account for their properties. These asteroids, known as compact ultra dense objects (CUDOs), may be composed of naturally occurring “superheavy elements” that are not listed in the periodic table, according to new research. The existence of these […]
1st evidence of giant exoplanet collision afterglow explains unusual eclipse
An international team of astronomers has reported the first-ever observations of the aftermath of a collision between two giant planets in another solar system. The collision was first detected in December 2021 when the host star of the planetary system, 2MASS J08152329-3859234, dimmed. Follow-up observations suggest that the dimming was due to an eclipse caused […]
Artemis 2 moon astronaut says crew is ready for ambitious 2024 mission
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is preparing for a historic mission to the moon. As a mission specialist on Artemis 2, slated to launch in 2024, Hansen will be part of the first astronaut mission to visit the moon in over 50 years. This mission will also mark the beginning of NASA’s larger Artemis program. Despite […]
Swirling gas helps scientists nail down Milky Way’s supermassive black hole mass
Astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics have accurately determined the mass and radius of the supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, at the center of our galaxy. The black hole has a mass of 4.297 million solar masses and a radius smaller than Venus’ orbit around the sun. The team used data from […]
Hubble Telescope just witnessed a massive intergalactic explosion and astronomers can’t explain it
A brilliant flash of light, one of the brightest blue bursts in the universe, was detected in the space between two galaxies over 3 billion light-years away. This rare astronomical event, known as a luminous fast blue optical transient (LFBOT), lasted only a few days. The first LFBOT, discovered in 2018, was up to 100 […]
See the world’s largest telescope dwarfed by the Full Hunter’s Moon (photo)
Construction of the world’s largest visible and infrared-light telescope, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), is currently underway in Chile’s Atacama Desert. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) recently shared a photo of the telescope’s progress, which is expected to see its first light by 2028. The ELT’s steel skeleton now stands at 80 meters high, and […]
